[V8] 235/45-17 snow tires?

[QSHIPQ at aol.com]

As the quattro head steamboat guy, and one that's driven dozens snow  setups, 
I'll put in my .02 here.  Probably the best setup for the v8 is the  215/55 
16 Ben referenced.  Second (or first given the price) would be stock  wheels 
with 215/60 15x7.5.  Running 17inch snows is compromising the snow  ability for 
nominal braking ability.  A 225/50 or a 225/45 on a 17x8 is the  widest you 
can go without surfing IMO/E.  That said, there is a lot of  energy in the 
sidewall that tends to make a 17 snow a huge compromise in  winter performance to a 
16 or 15.  
 
I really think if you did a true 'test' of the various braking systems, you  
will find that the UFO's are some of the best, and even the G60's will all but 
 equal the braking of the 928 setup.  What big brakes do is give you more  
resistance to fade.  Get a good set of textar (v8 app) pads for the G60's,  they 
will bang that v8 down within feet of the BBKs, BTMT.  On the track,  maybe a 
different story = fade issue.  Further, in snow, you don't need all  that 
excess braking capacity, you need brake balance.  IMO, v8 rears are  better 
*balanced* to G60 or UFO fronts than any BBK.
 
If it was me, I'd buy the 15 or 16in snows and swap off the big brakes with  
the wheels and tires.  IMO, BBK's in winter tend to lockup the fronts very  
quickly, causing really early ABS events.  Add in the energy in the  sidewall, 
you are using BBK's in deference to good winter  performance.   You don't have 
3 times the braking power with  BBK's.  That's a function of brake swept area, 
clamping force, and pad  material.  I encourage you to test stock brakes 
against BBK's to understand  the point.
 
My .02 arbitraged thru the peso
 
Scott Justusson
91 v8
a few urq's
 
 
In a message dated 7/14/2007 10:56:16 P.M. Central Daylight Time,  
v8coupe at gmail.com writes:

BBK=big  brake kit.  Made with RS2 caliper adapters 01-03 S8 front 323mm  by
30mm rotors and Porsche 928GTS calipers in front and S8 rear carriers  with
stock V8q calipers and 04+ S4 rear 300mm by 22mm rotors.  Require  17" wheel
minimum so that is the reason for the larger then stock wheels 3  times the
braking power.

I'd run 15" wheels if there was a way to  get much more stopping power then
the g60's allow and the UFo's are nice,  but very complicated and only  single
piston.

Thanks
Sean


 



************************************** Get a sneak peak of the all-new AOL at 
http://discover.aol.com/memed/aolcom30tour